In the transition from copper wires to optical fibers it has been desirable to terminate the optical fibers in a standard electrical connector housing.
Hoover U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,068 discusses a fiber optic cable termination means which may be utilized in a standard open entry electrical connector housing. However, a problem with the Hoover connector is that the socket contact protrudes beyond the socket contact cavity which will expose the socket contact to damage from accidental contact with tools, misaligned connectors, etc. The Hoover termination means is not desirable for use with connectors having a closed entry.
Matthews et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,898 and U.K. Patent No. 2,136,595B discloses other means for aligning fiber optic cables.
A requirement of fiber optic connectors is that after every demating, it is desirable to clean the end of the optical fiber. This is not possible with most contacts presently used in closed entry fiber optic connectors unless the socket contact is removed from the socket contact cavity and the entire socket disassembled, a very tedious process. Of course, this problem is somewhat obviated with open entry socket contact cavity designs, such as the Hoover connector, although the additional problem of damage to the socket contact would now be present.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to have a fiber optic connector wherein disassembly of the connector is unnecessary for cleaning of the optical fiber end.
It is another object of the invention to have a fiber optic connector wherein damage to the socket contact is avoided when the connector is unmated or not in use.
It is another object of the invention to provide a fiber optic socket contact that can be used in a closed entry type connector body and be substantially flush with the socket contact cavity, and be removable from the contact cavity along with an alignment sleeve to be used therewith.
It is yet another object of the invention to replace the standard electrical contacts with fiber optic contacts without changing the contact cavity, thereby making them interchangeable.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent after referring to the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.